Mastodon Feed: Posts

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Happy Transgender Day of Visibility!

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/03/31/happy-international-transgender-day-of-visibility/

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

What a charmingly appropriate publication by the US Government!

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/03/31/thank-the-oss/

Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
deborahelizabeth.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("Deborah Elizabeth Finn") wrote:

Fascist regimes work hard to evoke despair and helplessness in resistance movements. We don't have to let them. As is the case with armed resistance, nonviolent resistance requires courage and involves serious risks. However, fascist power is more precarious than it looks, and we can bring it down.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“There is much more to military strength than physicality and bravado. Ukraine, the much smaller representative of the so-called woke West, has turned much of Russia’s conventional arsenal into smoking ruins.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/opinion/hegseth-signal-trump-putin.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
corbet@social.kernel.org ("Jonathan Corbet") wrote:

Today I got a cheery email from somebody who claims to be the "ethics and compliance" officer for a company called Bright Data. He wanted to have a "no pressure" conversation about the whole AI scraperbot problem. Looking at their web site, this company offers an API that, and I quote, "Bypasses anti-scraping mechanisms and solves CAPTCHAs, ensuring uninterrupted access to the most protected web sites".

After careful consideration for several milliseconds, I have concluded that I really don't have anything to discuss with this person.

But at least their claimed "100M+" of residential IP addresses that they use for their DDOS attacks are "ethically sourced".

Boosted by denschub@schub.social ("Dennis Schubert"):
gabrielesvelto@fosstodon.org ("Gabriele Svelto") wrote:

As an engineer working with computers I'm all too aware that software engineering isn't really engineering. Things just kinda work. Sometimes. Most of the time anyway.

But prompt engineering, oh man, lol lol lol lmao.

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

My mango lassi is happy to see me

Boosted by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
designthinkingcomic@mastodon.cloud ("Design Thinking! Comic") wrote:

Come on in! The water's.... fine?

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

First novel I wrote was my second novel traditionally published, and the second novel I wrote was the first traditionally published.

RE: https://www.threads.net/@paigebwrites/post/DHviLszuaF4

jwz wrote:

Drunk Texts With Dr. Kingfish.
https://jwz.org/b/ykln

Boosted by jwz:
dnalounge@sfba.social ("DNA Lounge") wrote:

Drink Special @ Belphagor: Who Would Jesus Deport? - Shot of Tequila and a Corona.

Attachments:

• gifv: 24d381bdf38c7e5c.mp4

Boosted by jwz:
dangillmor ("Dan Gillmor") wrote:

The words "detain" and "detention" have definitions that are mostly benign -- e.g. "detained by traffic on the way to lunch" and "grade-school kid has after-class detention..."

That's why using "was detained" is carrying water for ICE when the reality is "was kidnapped off the street and imprisoned..."

Journalism needs to be much more precise, but that would require less stenography and more thinking before publishing.

Boosted by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

@Simmer https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/werner-herzog-germany-quote/

Boosted by jwz:
simple_sabotage ("Simple Sabotage Field Manual") wrote:

Give lengthy and incomprehensible explanations when questioned.

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
best_of_mltshp@mefi.social ("Best of MLTSHP") wrote:

https://mltshp.com/p/1QWWV

cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:

I spent some time with the kiddo playing with clays of various sort this afternoon. This is all I managed today, but it's something. And now this is all the evidence it existed as I went smashy smashy a little while later.

#clay #doodle #yaombaaa

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
raganwald@social.bau-ha.us ("raganwald 🍓") wrote:

I'm watching a squirrel cooking show, and it's just nuts!

Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
joyousjoyness ("Joy") wrote:

I got inspired by this amazing cat I came across, just look at him! Iggy was the muse for 4 paintings. This is "Grumpy Furball."

#cat #art #painting

Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
overholt@glammr.us ("John Overholt") wrote:

I just cannot state strongly enough how profoundly this misunderstands what I want from a vacuum cleaner. https://www.theverge.com/news/639078/samsung-bespoke-ai-jet-ultra-vacuum-text-messages

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

this is disgusting

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-mike-johnson-floats-eliminating-federal-courts-rcna197986

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“11) Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate with others.”

do not spread mis- and dis-information, and know your sources. take responsibility for the words you spread.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“10) Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.”

there actually are facts… gravity does not care if you believe and the biggest wallet should not control who Citizens of a democratic republic elect.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“9) Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books.”

words have meaning and genuine voices have power. find your own voice, and use it to speak out.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“8) Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.”

this is your time to lead.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“7) Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.”

I hope my Spec/4 great nephew never has to face an illegal order, but face it he may if we continue down this path of unchecked executive power grab.

Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
matthew_d_green@ioc.exchange ("Matthew Green") wrote:

I am jumping down with frustration at our academic community. People: we cannot do anything if everyone is unaware of professors getting arrested for multiple weeks.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“6) Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.”

remember item #2? 4 generations of my family have taken an Oath to the Constitution & put on Army Green. like Sherman & my Dad, I choose to defend the institution of an apolitical professional military.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“5) Remember professional ethics. When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.”

law firms need to show some spine in the face subversion of the law by supposed guardians of the law.

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

mood blue

https://music.apple.com/us/album/thelonious-himself-remastered/1440764356

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

“4) Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.”

we are all taught to be too polite. in the face of sustained hate, people need to act and not just look the other way in disapproval.